Archana
Archana is a small kingdom located at the North of former France. Due to it's location, it was for long a region that many other kingdoms wanted to own, and it was often attacked by enemy armies. But the people from Archana always worked together and fought bravely to defend their home, and thanks to the Steel Wardens, the passage into the land had always sustained the attacks, no matter how hard they were hit. Finally in a new time of peace, Archana could focus on its own development, and its people unity have allowed them to grow with impressive speed, and it is now a rising star among the most important kingdoms in the land. Cities & Towns Novarooch Also known as the Royal City, Novarooch is Archana's capital and first city. There is where people first settled in these lands and began building what Archana is today. Thanks to Vilennor's stone and craftsmanship, the city is today one of the most glorious capitals in the continent, a rising star just like the kingdom itself. With a very budy market, well trainer guard, lots of job opportunities and a people with a good sense of honor, Novarooch is an example of development and peace. Blackbourne A port city, located at the North of Archana, Blackbourne is the center of the kingdom's commerce, where most goods enter and leave it. Although the city has everything to be the richest place in Archana, the crime and corruption present there bring its glory down to the floor. Pirates roam the port freely while the guard hides in fear and the Count bathes in the city's gold. Vilennor The famous City of Stone, it was built over a huge complex of mines, and it alone supplies the entire kingdom with minerals. Their strong walls and buildings are remarkable and reflect the citizens' sturdiness, strength and honor. It is a place that was built for hard work with hard work, and anyone who dares to "take the easy way" doesn't last long at the hands of this honorable people. Kylestone Located at nearly the center of Archana, Kylestone is the spot where many travelers, and heroes, have and still cross to reach other places. Many warriors have built their fame there, just as many bards like to spend their time in Kylestone telling stories of great men - for that, the city is known as the City of Heroes all over the kingdom. Fort Hawkcliff A fortress up on the DeepRock Mountains, it was built solely by Dwarves and later officially anexed to Archana. Today the place is used as a last defense resort and watch spot, since one can see the entire kingdom from up there. Edgemourn Formerly a great fort that defended Archana's East border, Edgemourn is now a small town smong ruins of past wars in this time of peace. It is mostly an isolated place, visited only by those who want to travel to other kingdoms or to hire the former war heroes, now mercenaries, The Steel Wardens. Springdrop A haven built upon a waterfall from the Blackwater River, and alongside it, Springdrop is a small town hidden deep inside the forest, well known by its beauty and peaceful location. It is most Archanian's favorite vacation spot and touristic attraction. Grave's Hollow A small town forgotten on the mountains, most bards tell that this place is haunted and cursed, but no mere adventurer dares to go and invastigate it. It used to be of great agricultural importance, but now it is the most feared and less visited place in the whole kingdom, and it is said that the place was built even before Novarooch itself. Politics Archana grew up in a medieval-ish context, and so it did in politics. Once a leader takes the power, their decents are elected as the next rules of the kingdom. In case all the heirs are dead, unable or unwilling to take the crown, a hero of the people is chosen by the Paladins, the King's elite knights, to rule Archana. The current King is Chrysos Valathorn, son to a hero who conquered the throne by making a last stand at Edgemourn and driving the enemy away for the last time. Religion The great majority of the citizens of Archana follow the religion that was originated in Heaven and Hell; that Tiamat was the first being in existance and gave birth to Dragons and every other living creature. A few don't care about deities and/or claim that this belief is as foolish as the old notion that Heaven was the realm of the Creator. Races Humans are, like in most parts of the world, the majority in Archana. Since Archanians have always been a target to invading armies, they have learned to stay together, to respect other races as they were their own. The Xylethn prefer to live in exclusion in small ground around the forests in order to stay away from any kind of technology. They are never seen around civilization, save for a few exception, such as rebels to their culture who would rather explore the world than stay confined in the forests. The Sordethn are more common in the cities, specially Hawkcliff where they are the majority, and in Vilennor, where they work as miners and craftsmen. Although a massive amount of Archanians don't know, as they have never seen them, there is a small settlement of Phaethn hidden in Blackbourne. Geography Archana is a small kingdom, but is more varied then some would think. At the West and South, it is surrounded by the DeepRock Moutains, home to Hawkcliff and Grave's Hollow. At the East it is only protected by the dense forest and the former fort, Edgemourn. At North, the coast to the Frozenheart Sea. The land is mostly plain, save for said mountains and a hill near the center where the city of Kylestone stands. Save for the area between Kylestone and Blackbourne, reaching a few kilometers to East and West, where there is a vast field with nealy none trees, and the area around Vilennor where the ground is rocky, the land is covered by forests. Magic in Archana Magic has been a key to the kingdom's survival and development since its early days, hence it was named Archana. But with time, powerful casters started to become rarer and rarer, and nowadays they are very few. The stronger mages are watched by the royalty since childhood and convinced to live confined in towers around the countryside where they can study and test their skills freely. The royalty claims that they do so only to help the mages hone their powers, but some conspiracy theorists claim that the mages are intimidated to accept being held in the tower in order to discover new means to give the kingdom an upper hand in wars. These towers can be found all over the land, and no one dares to get close to them. The "weaker" casters can be found all around Archana; some of them are adventurers who prefer to learn how to use their skills alone, like storytellers, mercenaries and some Xylethn clan leaders, and most are part of bigger groups, such as the Tiamat's Light Order, the Brotherhood of the Silent Blade, and the Dragon Fist Monastery. Category:Locations VII